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11 Types of Reason

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Reason is the human capacity for thinking in a reasonable way with intent to produce good judgement. The following are common types of reason.

Deductive Reason

Deductive reason begins with a hypothesis and seeks to confirm it with evidence. This is a basis for science, logic and basic thought processes such as learning by trial and error. For example, an child who thinks a word might be bad so they use it to see what happens.

Inductive Reason

Inductive reason is a bottom up approach that begins with evidence and works towards a conclusion. Inductive reason is a formal process that doesn't allow for guesses. For example, an investigation into an aircraft accident that only develops a theory when ample evidence has been collected and analyzed.

Abductive Reason

Abductive reason is the same as inductive reason except that it allows for informal guesses that can then be confirmed with deductive reason. For example, a marketing team that looks for evidence to explain a decrease in customer demand that finds evidence that a popular competitor is eating into their business.

Heuristics

Heuristics are practical guesses that are made to handle uncertainty, grey areas, complexity and fast moving situations. For example, a driver who sees a blurry image out of the corner of their eye who guesses it could be a bicycle headed into their path such that they quickly apply the brakes of their vehicle.

Intuitive Reason

Intuitive reason is a term for natural thought processes that aren't systematized. This can include emotion, logic and heuristics. For example, a flight attendant who instantly feels that a bout of turbulence is likely to be bad.

Verbal Reason

The process of thinking with words. This is a primary type of human thought, such that language tends to impact how you think. For example, learning a second language can transform an individual's worldview.

Visual Thinking

Humans can understand and think with pictures. For example, a graph or chart is often easier to understand than raw data.

Imagination

Imagination is the human ability to think about things in ways that differ from reality. This is a powerful tool of reason. For example, a thought experiment or analogy that allows for the simplification of a complex problem.

Motivated Reasoning

Motivated reasoning is the pervasive tendency for motivation to color thought. For example, seeking evidence for what you want to believe as opposed to objectively evaluating all evidence.

Fallacies

Fallacies are patterns of failed logic that commonly taint reasoning. These can be remarkably difficult to identify such that reason benefits from a process of critical peer review and debate.

Cold Logic

Cold logic is reason that fails to consider human factors such as emotion, language, culture, rights, freedoms, quality of life and the human experience. For example, an company that designs an alternative to high speed rail without any thought to the customer experience such that is incredibly bumpy with passengers becoming fearful and sick even at low speeds.
Overview: Reason
Type
Definition (1)
The human capacity for thinking in a reasonable way with intent to produce good judgement.
Definition (2)
An argument that supports a theory, decision, strategy or position..
Related Concepts

Thinking

This is the complete list of articles we have written about thinking.
Abductive Reasoning
Abstract Thinking
Abstraction
Aesthetics
Analogy
Analysis Paralysis
Analytical Thinking
Anomie
Argument
Argument From Silence
Arrow Of Time
Assertions
Automaticity
Backward Induction
Base Rate Fallacy
Benefit Of Doubt
Big Picture
Brainstorming
Call To Action
Catch 22
Causality
Choice Architecture
Circular Reasoning
Cognition
Cognitive Abilities
Cognitive Biases
Cold Logic
Collective Intelligence
Complexity Bias
Concept
Consciousness
Constructive Criticism
Convergent Thinking
Counterfactual Thinking
Creative Tension
Creeping Normality
Critical Thinking
Culture
Curse Of Knowledge
Decision Fatigue
Decision Framing
Decision Making
Defensive Pessimism
Design Thinking
Divergent Thinking
Educated Guess
Emotional Intelligence
Epic Meaning
Essential Complexity
Excluded Middle
Failure Of Imagination
Fallacies
Fallacy Fallacy
False Analogy
False Balance
False Dichotomy
False Equivalence
First Principles
Formal Logic
Four Causes
Fuzzy Logic
Gambler's Fallacy
Generalization
Golden Hammer
Good Judgement
Grey Area
Groupthink
Heuristics
Hindsight Bias
Hope
Idealism
Ideas
If-By-Whiskey
Illogical Success
Imagination
Independent Thinking
Inductive Reasoning
Inference
Influencing
Informal Logic
Information
Information Cascade
Introspection
Intuition
Inventive Step
Learning
Lifestyle
Logic
Logical Argument
Logical Thinking
Ludic Fallacy
Magical Thinking
Meaning
Mental Experiences
Mental State
Mindset
Misuse of Statistics
Motivated Reasoning
Natural Language
Nirvana Fallacy
Norms
Not Even Wrong
Objective Reason
Objectivity
Opinion
Overthinking
Perception
Personal Values
Perspective
Positive Thinking
Practical Thinking
Pragmatism
Premise
Problem Solving
Proof By Example
Propositional Logic
Prosecutor's Fallacy
Radical Chic
Rational Thought
Realism
Reality
Reason
Reasoning
Red Herring
Reflective Thinking
Reification
Relativism
Salience
Scarcity Mindset
Scientism
Selective Attention
Serendipity
Situational Awareness
Sour Grapes
State Of Mind
Storytelling
Subjectivity
Systems Thinking
Thinking
Thought Experiment
Unknown Unknowns
Visual Thinking
Want To Believe
Whataboutism
Win-Win Thinking
Wishful Thinking
Worldview
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Rational Thought

The difference between rational thought and logic.

Benefit Of Doubt

The definition of benefit of doubt with examples.

Intrapersonal

The definition of intrapersonal with examples.

Introspection

The definition of introspection with examples.

Paradox

The definition of paradox with examples.

Abstract Concept

The definition of abstract concept with examples.

Logical Argument

An overview of logical arguments with examples.

Rational Choice Theory

The definition of rational choice theory with examples.

Reflective Thinking

The definition of reflective thinking with examples.

Thought Processes

A list of thinking approaches and types.

Nostalgia

An overview of nostalgia with examples.

Skepticism

The definition of skepticism with examples.

Abstract Thinking

The definition of abstract thinking with examples.

Positive Thinking

The principles of positive thinking.

List Of Emotions

A list of common emotions.
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